Tag Archives: Second story Addition

Ripping the roof from your house may sound drastic, but creating a second floor to your home has its benefits.

If you have a growing family, but you love your neighborhood and hate the thought of moving- think about building up. Not only will that second story pay you back when you do eventually sell, but you can stay in the area that you love in a home that you’ve grown accustomed to and made memories in.

Selling up and moving on to a larger home is a much more expensive task than building up. There are moving costs, property transfer taxes, cancelling utilities, hookup fees, and a whole hole of other costs. Though, adding a second story to your home is a pricey proposition, it’s also a genius move.

Your addition choice will depend on what additional living space you and your family need, as well as what your home can support. For homes on small lots, building up might be the only option. For larger lots, you may be able to build out and build up.

A second-floor addition is complex and there is more inconvenience and higher costs involved. However, you may want to consider a modular or prefab second story addition, this will reduce your costs and limit your inconvenience.

Consider this before building a second floor

Adding a second floor means removing the roof of your home, you are essentially building an entire home on top of your existing home. There is no way around the fact that your family will need to relocate during renovation. However, in the case of a modular additions this will be for a shorter period of time.

There are other risks associated with second-story additions, with weather risks and foundational considerations. Builders must ensure that the drywall ceiling isn’t damaged when the second floor is being added. You should also speak to the local building inspector to find out about codes and zoning regulations. The inspector will also be able to tell you if your home can support the second-floor addition. Or, what you need to do to ensure it can.

When you choose to work with professionals, though, while the risks remain you know you are in good hands. Importantly, though, are the benefits that must be considered.

Creating additional space to your home allows you to design your home in any way you want to. You have an entire floor to play with, whether you choose to move the bedrooms upstairs and reinvent your first-floor space. Or, if you are looking to create guest rooms and home office space.

A simple room addition might be cheaper, and it might even be easier: but the simple fact is that is not a possibility for everyone. Additionally, a single room doesn’t create the massive amount of space that adding a second floor does- with a second-story you are doubling your space.